diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/InputMode.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/InputMode.java
index 69a4c1f3..9ad7c07b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/InputMode.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/InputMode.java
@@ -129,34 +129,6 @@ abstract public class InputMode {
 		textCase = allowedTextCases.get(0);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * This is used in nextTextCase() for switching to the next set of characters. Obviously,
-	 * special chars do not have a text case, but we use this trick to alternate the char groups.
-	 */
-	protected boolean nextSpecialCharacters() { return nextSpecialCharacters(language); }
-	protected boolean nextSpecialCharacters(Language altLanguage) {
-		if (altLanguage == null || digitSequence.isEmpty()) {
-			return false;
-		}
-
-		int previousGroup = specialCharSelectedGroup;
-		int key = digitSequence.charAt(0) - '0';
-		ArrayList<String> chars = altLanguage.getKeyCharacters(key, ++specialCharSelectedGroup);
-
-		if (chars.isEmpty() && specialCharSelectedGroup == 1) {
-			specialCharSelectedGroup = 0;
-			return false;
-		} else if (chars.isEmpty()) {
-			specialCharSelectedGroup = 0;
-			chars = altLanguage.getKeyCharacters(key, specialCharSelectedGroup);
-		}
-
-		suggestions.clear();
-		suggestions.addAll(chars);
-
-		return previousGroup != specialCharSelectedGroup;
-	}
-
 	public boolean nextTextCase() {
 		if (nextSpecialCharacters()) {
 			return true;
@@ -177,6 +149,43 @@ abstract public class InputMode {
 	// Based on the internal logic of the mode (punctuation or grammar rules), re-adjust the text case for when getSuggestions() is called.
 	protected String adjustSuggestionTextCase(String word, int newTextCase) { return word; }
 
+
+	/**
+	 * This is used in nextTextCase() for switching to the next set of characters. Obviously,
+	 * special chars do not have a text case, but we use this trick to alternate the char groups.
+	 */
+	protected boolean nextSpecialCharacters() { return nextSpecialCharacters(language); }
+	protected boolean nextSpecialCharacters(Language altLanguage) {
+		int previousGroup = specialCharSelectedGroup;
+		specialCharSelectedGroup++;
+
+		return
+			loadSpecialCharacters(altLanguage) // validates specialCharSelectedGroup
+			&& previousGroup != specialCharSelectedGroup; // verifies validation has passed
+	}
+
+	protected boolean loadSpecialCharacters(Language altLanguage) {
+		if (altLanguage == null || digitSequence.isEmpty()) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		int key = digitSequence.charAt(0) - '0';
+		ArrayList<String> chars = altLanguage.getKeyCharacters(key, specialCharSelectedGroup);
+
+		if (chars.isEmpty() && specialCharSelectedGroup == 1) {
+			specialCharSelectedGroup = 0;
+			return false;
+		} else if (chars.isEmpty()) {
+			specialCharSelectedGroup = 0;
+			chars = altLanguage.getKeyCharacters(key, specialCharSelectedGroup);
+		}
+
+		suggestions.clear();
+		suggestions.addAll(chars);
+
+		return true;
+	}
+
 	// Stem filtering.
 	// Where applicable, return "true" if the mode supports it and the operation was possible.
 	public boolean clearWordStem() { return setWordStem("", true); }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/ModePredictive.java b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/ModePredictive.java
index edce8f44..4a7effda 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/ModePredictive.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/github/sspanak/tt9/ime/modes/ModePredictive.java
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ public class ModePredictive extends InputMode {
 			.setStem(stem)
 			.setLanguage(searchLanguage)
 			.setInputWord(currentWord)
-			.setWordsChangedHandler(this::getPredictions)
+			.setWordsChangedHandler(this::onPredictions)
 			.load();
 	}
 
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ public class ModePredictive extends InputMode {
 	 */
 	private boolean loadStaticSuggestions(Runnable onLoad) {
 		if (digitSequence.equals(Language.PUNCTUATION_KEY) || digitSequence.equals(Language.SPECIAL_CHARS_KEY)) {
-			super.nextSpecialCharacters();
+			super.loadSpecialCharacters(language);
 			onLoad.run();
 			return true;
 		} else if (!digitSequence.equals(EmojiLanguage.CUSTOM_EMOJI_SEQUENCE) && digitSequence.startsWith(EmojiLanguage.EMOJI_SEQUENCE)) {
@@ -269,10 +269,10 @@ public class ModePredictive extends InputMode {
 
 
 	/**
-	 * getPredictions
+	 * onPredictions
 	 * Gets the currently available Predictions and sends them over to the external caller.
 	 */
-	private void getPredictions() {
+	private void onPredictions() {
 		// in case the user hasn't added any custom emoji, do not allow advancing to the empty character group
 		if (predictions.getList().isEmpty() && digitSequence.startsWith(EmojiLanguage.EMOJI_SEQUENCE)) {
 			digitSequence = EmojiLanguage.EMOJI_SEQUENCE;